Name/Title
Life preserver cosh c1850 -1900Entry/Object ID
903Description
Flexible cosh 12 1/2 inches (31cm) long with weighted ends, bound in finely plaited leather. No marker's marks.Use
For general use as an offensive weapon and for self defence.Context
During much of the 19th century it was not uncommon for people to arm themselves as protection against assault and robbery and at the same time for criminals to carry weapons. Items such as this, with a flexible shaft and weighted coshes at each end were common during the period and are called "Life Preservers", as a reference to their intended use for self defence, and were carried by the public and criminals alike.
That this example came from an ex East Sussex Constabulary police constable, could indicate that he used it later, possibly as a reserve weapon or when working in plain clothes, though this is speculation. Frank Etheridge joined East Sussex Constabulary in 1908 and served until at least the second world war. Most police forces were strict about officers using only issue truncheons and on balance it would seem unlikely that he would have carried it on duty. It is though possible that he obtained it in the course of his duties, possibly having seized it.